Michael Arace commentary: Guide necessary to decipher Hitchspeak

Wednesday

Last year at this time, in this space, the Hitchionary was introduced. It covered terms such as rich, reckless, weighty and heavy. It was rendered as a means to warm up for the hockey season.

As language is evolutionary and mutative, as Canadian lexicographer and Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock continues in his process of free creation, and as another hockey season is drawing nigh, a second edition is mandatory.

Noam Chomsky, the esteemed American linguist, asserts that language is the process of free creation.

"Its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied," Chomsky said. "Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation."

Last year at this time, in this space, the Hitchionary was introduced. It covered terms such as rich, reckless, weighty and heavy. It was rendered as a means to warm up for the hockey season.

As language is evolutionary and mutative, as Canadian lexicographer and Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock continues in his process of free creation, and as another hockey season is drawing nigh, a second edition is mandatory. So, here it is, Hitchionary II:

Busy head: When a player thinks too much, he has a busy head. What is the remedy? Check, please.

Cowboy strong: This phrase popped up yesterday, during a scrum with the media. The subject was Matt Calvert, a prospect who is 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds. Although Calvert does not appear particularly imposing, he is, Hitchcock asserted, "cowboy strong" -- which means he is invested, almost magically, with an unfettered ability to "penetrate" the "hard areas" of the ice. Cowboy strong is akin to the American Midwestern phrase farmboy strong, a term of endearment for organically sinewy offensive linemen.

Hard: Just as a jazz musician can wring a range of emotion from a single note, so too can Hitchcock. Hard is one of his most affective adjectives. After a particularly rough stretch of games, he might say, "It's been (sounds like beeeen) a hard (harrrd) go" -- and it's like Billie Holiday is ripping your heart out. Or, after a particularly frenetic performance, Hitchcock might say, "That was hard bizarre." Understand, there is bizarre and then there is hard bizarre -- and hard bizarre is vastly preferable because it implies that, amid the mayhem, some cowboy-strong players penetrated the hard areas with pace.

Inversion: This is a favorite rhetorical technique of Hitchcock's. For example, when it was suggested that the Jackets' league-worst power play was a problem last season, Hitchcock said, "I don't see it that way. I think the problem is the penalty kill." Hitchcock prioritizes. If he doesn't want to talk about something, he gently will turn the subject and "dig in" for a good parley. Earlier this month, it was posed to Hitchcock that the power play would continue to be a bane because there had been no significant infusion of new personnel. Hitchcock shook his head and politely suggested that the unit had to be better because of "continuity."

Invitation: Those who are ready to stick up for their teammates do not need an invitation to engage in pugilistic pursuits.

Pace: It used to be that checking was everything. Now, it's all about pace. For instance, Nikita Filatov is in possession of much-needed skill, but can he bring it with pace on a consistent basis -- or, is he "in and out?" Remember the phrase competitive composure? One can only presume that the Jackets now have a full grasp of the concept, so the next step is to add unrelenting pace to the recklessness.

Penetrate: You think you know the meaning of a word such as compete, but for Hitchcock, the word acquires unfathomable depth. Penetrate is another case in point. This month, Hitchcock hasn't gone five minutes without muttering "penetrate" -- which, loosely translated, is the action necessary to reach the hard areas. After an exhibition this week, Hitchcock said, "The power play looked very good -- but we did not penetrate like we did (the previous game)." It did not matter that the power play looked dangerous, or produced a goal -- it failed to penetrate.

Skill: As the Jackets have developed young skill players under Hitchcock, the coach has had to find ways of keeping said skill in its place. To this end, Hitchcock has been polishing phrases such as, "You can't put the skill ahead of the work," which is a turn on his old phrase, "checking comes first." The alternative -- no penetration, at any pace -- is unacceptable.

That is it for Hitchionary II. More next year.

In the meantime, fire away, folks. Onward, into to hard areas. It is time to fight and march.

marace@dispatch.com

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.